European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 2, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday november 2, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 5unemployment rate rises in october other data dim . Economic Outlook Washington apr the nation s unemployment rate climbed to 6.8 percent in october As factory and construction workers suffered massive layoffs the labor department said Friday. A separate report showed a decline in the governments chief economic forecasting gauge. The Rise in the jobless rate up from september s rate of 6.7 percent marked the first increase in the unemployment rate since june when it hit a five year Peak of 7 percent the labor department said. The unemployment rate had inched Down Over the summer but analysts attributed that improvement mainly to statistical flukes. The Commerce department said the Index of leading economic indicators slipped 0.1 percent in september. The Index designed to project the Economy Over the next six to nine months grew by an average of 0.8 percent a month from february through july. Lucas the first drop in eight months and raised fears that the Economy could stall or fall into recession. Fridays news could prod the Federal Reserve to provide a fresh round of interest rate cuts to Spur the sagging Economy analysts said. The dreary jobs report follows other recent data showing Home sales consumer Confidence and factory orders Are tumbling. See related Story Page 17. At the White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said thursday that the fed this week apparently Cut Short term interest rates and a there could be other cuts to  the unemployment report raised fresh doubts about whether the Economy pulled out of the recession in May or june As earlier government numbers indicated. Later data have suggested Only sputtering economic activity. Congressional democrats trying to draft a Compromise on extending benefits to the Long term unemployed said the report was discouraging. A devastating news for american workers Quot said sen. Paul Sarbanes d-md., chairman of the joint economic committee. A the employment figures strongly suggest. The Economy is heading Back into  an additional 140,000 americans were added to unemployment Rolls in october As the jobless numbered 8.6 million the labor department said. There Are 1.8 million More people without jobs than there were when the recession started in july 1990. Janet Norwood commissioner of the labor department s Bureau of labor statistics noted that a the nation s jobless rate at 6.8 percent has essentially been in a holding pattern since  she said there were massive layoffs in construction manufacturing and retail Trade last month. Factories lost 32,000 jobs in october on top of a 31,000 decline in september. Norwood said manufacturing a had shown some resurgence this past summer but the losses in the past two months have erased those  a construction jobs plunged by 29,000 last month. The Industry has lost 10 percent of its work Force since May 1990, Norwood said. Retail Trade employment fell by 47,000 in october after seasonal adjustment. Hiring for the upcoming Holiday season fell Short at department stores Norwood said bringing total Job losses in that sector to 425,000 since february 1990. The retail figures do a not Bode Well for the traditional engine of economic growth in America a consumption Quot said John Albertine who Heads an economic forecasting firm in  Crippen to take Over space Center from wire reports Washington a signalling a change of emphasis for manned space flight Nasa administrator Richard h. Truly on thursday named fellow former astronaut Robert l. Crippen As the next director of the Kennedy space Center effective Jan. 1. Crippen replaces Forrest s. Mccart Crippen Ney 60, a retired in it stars and scripts air Force lieutenant general called in by truly to run the Florida launch Complex after the 1986 challenger disaster. Mccartney reportedly has clashed with top shuttle managers including Cuppen Over policy decisions. Under Mccartney the space Center has conducted 18 shuttle missions in the three years since flights resumed following an investigation into the challenger  announcing the move truly said a with three years of Safe shuttle flights behind us the Kennedy space Center Quot and the shuttle program Are moving into an Era of new challenges which will involve not Only our continued commit ment to safety but a so significant efforts to increase efficiencies and reduce operating  truly said Crippens personal experience on four shuttle flights and a this proven record of leadership in critical management assignments Quot including his current Job As shuttle program director a make him uniquely qualified at this critical  truly noted that the Job will Range from supervising of shuttle launch operations to overseeing the planned construction of the space station Freedom in the mid-1990s. Truly also praised Mccartney saying the shuttle programs recent performance a is a remarkable record achieved during the most challenging time in nasal a history and the strength of Forrest a leadership in preparing the launch teams for the shuttle s return to flight  the Way. Crippen 54, is the first astronaut to make four shuttle flights. A retired Navy Captain he joined Nasa in 1969, was a standby astronaut during the skylab and Apollo soyuz programs and shared the cockpit with John Young on the inaugural Mission of an untried shuttle in april 1981. Nasa did not say who will succeed Crippen in his current Job.10 years ago nov. 2,1981 a local Solidarity Union leaders in Poland vowed to continue Wildcat protests idling about 250,000 workers despite a Call by the polish parliament for an immediate halt to strikes.20 years ago nov. 2,1971 a israeli prime minister Golda Meir and foreign minister Abba Eban met . Ambassador h. Walworth Barbour in Jerusalem while israelis ambassador to Washington conferred with . Officials there to begin sorting out differences on Washington s approach to bringing about a partial Middle East peace agreement.30 years ago nov. 2,1961 a the body of Josef Stalin ruler of the soviet Union for a Quarter of a Century was removed from a Granite Tomb in red Square and reburied inside the Kremlin wall.40 years ago nov. 2,1951 a an air dropped atomic bomb shattered windows in Las vegas 65 Miles Mcway during history a first atomic War games using foot soldiers. About 2,000 . Soldiers were entrenched seven Miles from the actual blast site at Yucca Flat Nev. Woman changes testimony links youth to subway murder robbery by new Day new York a at first the sister in Law of slain Utah tourist Brian Watkins testified thursday that she did not recognize any of the four youths As members of the gang that attacked her family in a Manhattan subway. Then Michelle Watkins 24, pointed to the defense table and asked a can 1 have the first one stand up a state supreme court Justice Edwin Torres instructed defendant Ricardo Nova to stand. A now he looks familiar Quot she said. A yes he was the one standing behind the pillar. Yes now i am quite  Watkins identification of a defendant was the first by any witness since testimony began monday. In emotional testimony earlier this week the victims parents Sherwin and Karen Watkins said they could not identify any of the defendants. Also on thursday the written and videotaped statements of defendant Pascal Carpenter 19, were played to the jury. In those statements Carpenter said he was instructed by other youths to be the Lookout for the robbery. Carpenter Nova and two others a Johnny Hincapie and Emilinne Fernandez a face murder and robbery charges in connection with Watkins death and the robbery of $203 from Wald Tisz father. Michelle Watkins and her husband Todd both took the stand thursday and Laid out the harrowing events that led to Brian Watkins death on sept. 2, 1990, As the family waited Lor a train to Greenwich Village after attending the . Open Tennis tournament. She was drawn to Nova that night she said because he kept popping out from behind a pillar roughly 50 feet from where the family was standing. Moments after she noticed Nova she said she heard Yelling and screaming and saw a group of youths running toward her and her family. She said she started screaming and covered her head and did not take note of the robbery for several minutes until she noticed her father in Law was a on the ground Quot and that his pants had been slashed. Brian Watkins stabbed in the heart had begun dashing up the stairs to Chase his attackers. She said she did not know then that he was fatally injured. As she met her husband at the top of the stairs she took Briana a head in her arms she said while her husband applied pressure to the wound. Girl says she saw six kick Soldier to death Colorado Springs Colo. Up a a 17-year-old girl testified that she and dozens of other teen agers stood by and watched As a Soldier was kicked to death on a downtown Street Corner. The witness a Lindefield High school student testified wednesday in a preliminary hearing of six suspects charged with murder in the sept. 21 death of spec. Layne Schmidtke who was stationed at fort Carson. The student testified that she was 10 feet from Schmidtke 24, a native t l Faribault minn., when the six Young people kicked him Between 20 and 30 times in the face and body. She said the attack continued a until blood came from his nose and  Schmidtke died about a half hour after the attack at a Colorado Springs Hospital. Charged in the slaying Are Shawn standi 16 Kevin Moore 18 Robert Dean 14 Daniel Davis 20 Anthony Phenix 18 and Anthony Perea 17. The defendants Are charged with first and second degree murder. They Are being held without bail in the county jail. The teen Ager and two other girls testified they were among 25 to 30 youths gathered near the Corner of Nevada and pikes Peak avenues on sept. 21. The attack occurred following an Exchange of words Between the teens and Schmidtke